Dispensing container apparatus

ABSTRACT

1. CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING WATER SOLUBLE SOLID TREATING AGENT AND ADAPTED TO BE PARTLY IMMERSED IN WATER TO BE TREATED, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL WALL HAVING AN IMMERSIBLE REDUCED DIAMETER LOWER PORTION INCLUDING PLURAL CIRCULARLY SPACED PORT MEANS HAVING KNOCKOUT CLOSURES TO PASS WATER INTO SAID CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF ANNULARLY SEGMENTED RIBS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE STRUCTURE RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING THE CONTAINER IN LOWER PORTION IMMERSED CONDITION, SAID RIBS LYING IN VERTICALLY SPACED RADIAL PLANES WITH THEIR CORRESPONDING SEGMENTS, IN VERTICALLY ALINED AND IN SPACED RELATION TO DEFINE INCREMENTAL IMMERSION ADJUSTMENTS FOR SAID CONTAINER LOWER PORTION IN THE WATER PLURAL VERTICALLY EXTENDED AND CIRCULARLY DISTRIBUTED SPACES WHICH UPON BODILY ROTATION OF THE CONTAINER PASS AND PERMIT RELATIVE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF THE RIBBED AND LOWER PORTION OF THE CONTAINER WALL AT SAID STRUCTURE, AND A STOP RIB FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID SEGMENTED RIBS AND EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH THE CONTAINER AXIS TO BE ENGAGED BY THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE TO ARREST ROTATION OF THE CONTAINER.

J. E. RETT DISPENSING CONTAINER APPARATUS Nov'. 5, l M

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Nov. 5, 1970 A s.,A 6,078

Nov. 5, 1974 1.5. BRETT n DISPENSING .CONTAINER APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 5, 1970 2 Sheets-Sheet fvVE/vro (IQ/MESE. .Bee rr United States Patent O 3,846,078 DISPENSING CONTAINER APPARATUS James E. Brett, Huntington Beach, Calif., assgnor to Purex Corporation, Ltd., Lakewood, Calif. Continuation of abandoned application Ser. No. 87,082, Nov. S, 1970. This application May 31, 1973, Ser. No.

Int. Cl. B01d 11/02 U.S. Cl. 23-267 A 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Dispensing container for solid treating agent adapted to be immersed in a liquid to be treated and having segmented annular ribs for insertion through, and upon bodily rotation of the container, engagement with structure defining a container receiving opening to support the container at least partly immersed in the liquid to be treated.

This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 87,082, led Nov. 5, 1970, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention has to do with containers from which treating agents such as pool chlorinating powders may be dispensed in metered amounts. More particularly, the invention has to do with an incrementally adjustable dispensing container which is readily insertable a desired distance for a selected amount of liquid immersion and simply locked into the adjusted condition.

2. Prior Art The present invention has been occasioned by the need for a simple, low cost, easily operated powdered chlorinating agent dispenser for residential pools which can be successfully used by ordinarily intelligent, but not always attentive pool owners; but in principle and structure the present container is broadly applicable to treating liquids, particularly recirculating liquids with predetermined additions of solid treating agents in a controlled manner.

Swimming pool owners want maximum pool use with minimum pool maintenance elort. Presently, pools are chlorinated for health and appearance reasons. Liquid chlorine (hypochlorite) solutions are used, but increasingly popular is the powdered chlorinating or sanitizing agent such as trichloro-s-triazine-trione which decomposes to yield chlorine. The addition of such chemicals has been manual or mechanical. Mechanical systems involve various means of metering the desired amount of treating agent which varies with temperature, pool use conditions, sun exposure and like factors.

The incorporation of metered amounts of treating agent in a foolproof manner requiring minimum owner attention has been approached by others using selectively immersible containers which are connected in pool water recirculation lines or which are disposed within the pool itself. These containers achieve selective dispensing conditions through exhausting screwing down of the container through a float or other support until the desired degree of immersion is realized. Since the typical container may last only one Week, especially in the summer months, the weekly screwing removal and substitution of containers can become a nuisance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dispensing container with more facile insertability and withdrawability for increased convenience and sales appeal to the pool chlorinating consumer.

3,846,078 Patented Nov. 5, 1974 ice This object and others to become apparent hereinafter are achieved with a container for dispensing treating agent according to the invention adapted to be partly immersed in a liquid to be treated and comprising a cylindrical wall having an immersible lower portion adapted to pass liquid into the container and segmented annular rib means above the lower portion arranged to engage structure receiving and supporting the container in lower portion immersed condition and adapted upon bodily rotation of the container to pass and permit relative vertical movement at the support structure. The container is used in combination with structure adapted toI support the same partly immersed in liquid which includes lug means arranged about a container receiving opening in a manner to selectively engage the rib means of a container inserted into the opening a distance to be partly immersed in the liquid. This support structure may comprise a wall member such as might be secured to the liquid container, having the container receiving opening formed therein and carrying plural rib engaging lugs circularly spaced within the opening, or a float adapted to` oat in the liquid, similarly provided with a container receiving opening formed therein and carrying plural rib engaging lugs circularly spaced within the opening, or a float adapted to oat in the liquid, similarly provided with a container receiving opening and the described lugs within the opening.

In a specific embodiment, the container is adapted to dispense solid treating agent into a tank of liquid to be treated having container support structure above the liquid comprising plural circularly spaced lugs arranged about a container receiving opening. The container has a cylindrical wall, a lower end closure for the wall adapted to pass liquid and segmented annular ribs projecting outward from the wall. The ribs are arranged to pass the lugs on insertion of the container into the opening therefor and to engage the lugs on bodily rotation of the container at a predetermined container insertion into the opening permitting immersion of the container end closure in the tank liquid.

Typically in the various embodiments, lthe container comprises a blow molded body having ports circularly arranged and closed with openable closures in the lower end and above the ports, an integrally formed rib', generally no thicker in cross section than the body wall. There may be a plurality of ribs lying in vertically spaced radial planes normal to the container longitudinal axis, the corresponding segments of the ribs being in vertically alined relation and spaced to dene incremental immersion adjustments for the container end closure relative to liquid in which the container is immersed. The container may further include shoulder means adjacent the rib as a stop against lug disengaging rotation of the container.

The stop shoulder may comprise a vertical rib extending between successive pairs of radial plane rib segments. The end closure port means may comprise plural, vertically extended, circularly spaced ports having knockout closures.

The dispensing container may be used in combination with a swimming pool or like liquid reservoir or a liquid receiving tank, e.g. communicating with such reservoir, having support structure defining a container receiving opening above the liquid, and means to circulate water through the tank which may include a swimming pool and a pump to circulate Water to and from the pool through the tank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will be further described as to an illustrative embodiment thereof in connection with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of apparatus according to the invention with a side view of a liquid treating tank and the invention dispensing container therefor;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged side elevation of the container, partly broken away to show container contents in use position in tank support structure;

FIG. 3 is a view in horizontal section of the container in insertion alinement relative to the tank support structure;

FIG. 4 is a view in horizontal section of the container in rotated alinement taken on line 4 4 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a view in horizontal section along line 5 5 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of the dispensing container mounted in a ioat support; and

FIG. 7 is a view like FIG. 6, somewhat enlarged and partly in section.

With reference to FIG. 1, container 1 according to the invention is shown arranged to dispense its contents in a metered manner into liquid 2 within tank 3. The liquid in this instance is water being circulated to and from pool 4 by pump 5 through piping loop 6 and portionwise to tank 3 through line y7 and tank wall tting 8 which is provided with valve means (not shown) operated by L-shaped arm 9 pivoted at 10 and connected to float 11 to limit the water in the tank to level 12 above the lower end portion 13 of container 1. Water in tank 3 dissolves and mixes with solid tabletted treating agent 14 in the container 1 below the liquid level 12 and thus treated is returned to the pool 4 by pump suction through line 15 extending from tank wall tting 16. As indicated above, the dispensing container 1 may be applied to various uses, but is particularly adapted to adding solid chlorinating agent to swimming pool water as depicted.

Container 1 is designed to be low in cost so as to be disposable, simple in form for ease of use and corrosion resistant. For these reasons, tough synthetic plastics are the materials of choice `in the fabrication of the container; particularly preferred are polyethylene and polypropylene or polystyrene materials. The various structural features of the container have been ldesigned to accomplish their purpose and to be formable by high volume production techniques, particularly blow molding. Among the several features are incrementally spaced rib segments 31a, b and c, molded-in quantity indicia 18, knockeout port coverings 19 and a snap-on lid 20.

With reference to FIG. 2, container 1 is seen to cornprise a preferably blow-molded body 21 having a cylindrical wall 212, a lower end portion 13 stepped in relative to the wall and an upper end portion 23 provided with an annular groove 24 into which mating annular tongue 25 of lid 20 is snapped following lling of the container with pellets, discs, tablets, powder `or other form of solid treating agent 14. By solid treating agent herein is meant liquid solubilized material which is dissolved from the container 1 into the liquid being treated.

The cylindrical wall 22 is radially enlarged at 26 a distance below groove 24 to provide a stop ring 27 sized to prevent too deep insertion of the container into tank 3 as will be explained in more detail below. A minor extent of the wall 22 above stop ring 27, i.e. top portion 23 is smooth for application of decorative or literal material. The major extent of the wall 22 lies below the stop ring 27 and this wall extent is distinctively configured to accomplish the purposes of the invention, namely simply realized, secure, graduated immersion of dispensing container 1 in tank liquid 2.

With reference to FIG. 2, container wall 22 is provided below the stop ring 27 with rib means generally indicated at 28 constructed and arranged in a manner providing rapid mounting and demounting of the container 1 on tank 3. It is a signal feature of the invention, embodied in container 1, that the container may lbe inserted into a support structure, e.g. cover of the tank 3 having container receiving opening 29 in a rst angular orientation and when inserted a predetermined distance, rotated bodily to a second angular orientation which is maintained during container use.

For this purpose, rib means 2S comprises a series of radially projecting annular ribs 31 lying in spaced parallel planes normal to the container longitudinal axis. Each rib 31 is segmented, e.g. into three equal sized, equally circularly spaced segments 31a, 31b, 31C to define vertically extended spaces 33 therebetween running the length of the ribbed portion of the container wall 22. The ribs 31 yare formed as radial enlargements of the container body 21, e.g. in appropriate grooves in the blow mold cavity whereby the ribs are U-shaped and substantially the same in gage or thickness as the wall 22 itself or just slightly less thick as best shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the ribs 31 may be solid in cross-section and thicker than the wall 22 generally, where molding conditions permit.

The several ribs 31 are provided as a vertical series to enable incremental adjustment of the container body 21 relative to the liquid level 12. Corresponding segments a., b, or c of the ribs 31 are vertically alined and spaced at convenient distance increments.

The cover 30 of the tank 3 is provided with an inwardly iianged opening 29 adapted to receive container 1. Flange 34 surrounding the opening has radially inwardly projecting lugs 35 at circularly spaced locations and in vertically alined series 35d, 35e, and 35f with vertical spacing at 36 therebetween permitting reception of a rib segment.

In addition, lug segments 35d-f have a limited circular extent to provide rib passing interlug spaces 37 of adequate size. See FIG. 3.

With the complementary structures of the ribs and lugs in mind, the insertion of the container 1 into cover opening 29 may be explained and with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. Initially the container 1 is placed vertically above the opening 29 and the body oriented to aline the ribs with interlug segment spaces 37 as shown in FIG. 3. The container 1 is passed into the opening a distance limited ultimately by stop ring 27 and when the desired extent of insertion is accomplished, the container is rotated bodily in this instance clockwise 60 into engagement of rib segments 31a., b and c with lugs 35d, e and f as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Vertically extended rib 38 is provide-d at one side of the 31a rib segment series as a stop shoulder against lug disengaging rotation 1of the container body 21, the lugs 35at-jc acting to engage vertical rib 38 upon fully seated engagement of the horizontal surfaces of lugs and ribs.

The extent of insertion is that submerging the container lower portion 13 in the liquid 2 in the tank 3, i.e. below the liquid level 12 as controlled by valve float 11. Entry of liquid 2 into the container lower portion 13 is through ports 39 which are depicted as vertically extended, but which may be of any convenient configuration and greater or fewer than the number shown. The ports 39 are desirably covered prior to use immersion in liquid 2, i.e. during shipping, storage and consumer handling, and for this purpose, the ports may be provided with removable closures such as knock-out membranous closure 19 which may be formed in the container molding operation and cut away for use of the container. Alternatively, the ports 39 may be covered by other openable closures such as plugs, caps or tape covers.

The opened ports 39 give liquid access to the container contents 14 shown in the form of tablets which disintegrate: on water contact. With disintegration of lower tablets,` upper tablets fall into the container lower portion 13 to provide a continuing supply of chlorinating or other treat-v ing agent to liquid 2.

The tank 3 may be connected to a swimming pool 4 as shown or be self-contained and so dimensioned as to contain the liquid to be treated for whatever purpose. In such an embodiment, the cover 36 is a wall member serving as the container support structure with.. the, opening 29 formed therein carrying the plural rib engaging lugs 35 circularly spaced within the opening. The support structure for the container may ibe above 0r below water level 12 provided water access into the container is limited to that accomplishing solution of treating agent at the desired rate.

In FIGS. 6 and 7 wherein like parts to FIGS. 1-5 have been given like numerals, the container support structure takes the form of a disc 40` which is hollow or foam or otherwise adapted to oat on liquid, suitably Water 2 disposed in a swimming pool. Disc 40` is provided with container receiving opening 41 congured with vertical series of circularly spaced lugs 42, as described with respect to the cover 30 lugs 35 which may engage ribs 31 of the container 1 as described in connection with FIGS. 1-5, save that the opening is oated over the liquid to be treated, so that the container 1 is vertically disposed along the Vertical axis of the disc 40 and in a manner to be more or less immersed in liquid depending on the extent of insertion past lugs 35 before rotation to engage ribs 31 and the lugs.

I claim:

1. Container for dispensing water soluble solid treating agent and adapted to be partly immersed in water to be treated, said container comprising a cylindrical wall having an immersible reduced diameter lower portion including plural circularly spaced port means having knockout closures to pass water into said container, a plurality of annularly segmented ribs arranged to engage structure receiving and supporting the container in lower portion immersed condition, said ribs lying in vertically spaced radial planes with their corresponding segments in vertically alined and in spaced relation to define incremental immersion adjustments for said container lower portion in the water plural vertically extended and circularly distributed spaces which upon bodily rotation of the container pass and permit relative vertical movement of the ribbed and lower portions of the container wall at said structure, and a stop rib formed integrally with said segmented ribs and extending parallel with the container axis to be engaged by the supporting structure to arrest rotation of the container.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,598,536 `8/1971 Christensen 23-267 E 3,595,786 7/1971 Horvath 23-267 E 2,826,484 3/1958 Buehler 23-267 A 3,107,156 10/ 1.963 Fredericks 23-267 A 3,301,579 1/1967 Gasche 285-391 FOREIGN PATENTS 566,270 12/1955 Great -Britain 285-391 1,129,050 1/1955 France 285-391 JACK SOFER, Primary Examiner S. J EMERY, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

1. CONTAINER FOR DISPENSING WATER SOLUBLE SOLID TREATING AGENT AND ADAPTED TO BE PARTLY IMMERSED IN WATER TO BE TREATED, SAID CONTAINER COMPRISING A CYLINDRICAL WALL HAVING AN IMMERSIBLE REDUCED DIAMETER LOWER PORTION INCLUDING PLURAL CIRCULARLY SPACED PORT MEANS HAVING KNOCKOUT CLOSURES TO PASS WATER INTO SAID CONTAINER, A PLURALITY OF ANNULARLY SEGMENTED RIBS ARRANGED TO ENGAGE STRUCTURE RECEIVING AND SUPPORTING THE CONTAINER IN LOWER PORTION IMMERSED CONDITION, SAID RIBS LYING IN VERTICALLY SPACED RADIAL PLANES WITH THEIR CORRESPONDING SEGMENTS, IN VERTICALLY ALINED AND IN SPACED RELATION TO DEFINE INCREMENTAL IMMERSION ADJUSTMENTS FOR SAID CONTAINER LOWER PORTION IN THE WATER PLURAL VERTICALLY EXTENDED AND CIRCULARLY DISTRIBUTED SPACES WHICH UPON BODILY ROTATION OF THE CONTAINER PASS AND PERMIT RELATIVE VERTICAL MOVEMENT OF THE RIBBED AND LOWER PORTION OF THE CONTAINER WALL AT SAID STRUCTURE, AND A STOP RIB FORMED INTEGRALLY WITH SAID SEGMENTED RIBS AND EXTENDING PARALLEL WITH THE CONTAINER AXIS TO BE ENGAGED BY THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE TO ARREST ROTATION OF THE CONTAINER. 